diff --git a/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/bootstrap-hw.inc b/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/bootstrap-hw.inc
index 9fbc95b2b5..e999752e21 100644
--- a/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/bootstrap-hw.inc
+++ b/repos/base-hw/lib/mk/bootstrap-hw.inc
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ SRC_CC  += lib/base/raw_output.cc
 SRC_CC  += lib/base/slab.cc
 SRC_CC  += lib/base/sleep.cc
 SRC_CC  += lib/base/sliced_heap.cc
-SRC_CC  += lib/startup/_main.cc
 
 REP_INC_DIR += src/bootstrap
 REP_INC_DIR += src/include
@@ -31,4 +30,3 @@ vpath bootstrap/%   $(BASE_HW_DIR)/src
 vpath hw/%          $(BASE_HW_DIR)/src/lib
 vpath lib/base/%    $(BASE_HW_DIR)/src
 vpath lib/base/%    $(BASE_DIR)/src
-vpath lib/startup/% $(BASE_DIR)/src
diff --git a/repos/base/src/ld/genode.ld b/repos/base/src/ld/genode.ld
index 28b62da897..ee68971b0b 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/ld/genode.ld
+++ b/repos/base/src/ld/genode.ld
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ SECTIONS
 
 		*(.data .gnu.linkonce.d.*)
 
+		__dso_handle = .;
+		LONG(0x0);
+
 		/* include all data subsections except those of the boot modules */
 		*(EXCLUDE_FILE (*boot_modules.o) .data.*)
 	} : rw
diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/startup/_main.cc b/repos/base/src/lib/startup/_main.cc
index 02880138ef..60abdd11c7 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/startup/_main.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/startup/_main.cc
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ void init_rtld()
 	init_cxx_guard();
 }
 
-void * __dso_handle = 0;
-
-
 /**
  * Lower bound of the stack, solely used for sanity checking
  */